People love to dress up. Its a fact. And its not just kids. Come Halloween, grown-ups and kids alike take to the streets in decked out from the simple to the outrageous, delighting in every moment of day where you can actually get away with dressing up crazy and not being thought of as a loon.
And in the UK the Brits, who adore “fancy dress”, get dressed up for occassions throughout the year, a “tarts and vicars” party proving to be one of the most popular.
But back to the holiday around the corner, which is Halloween. How did this tradition of dressing up in costumes come about? According to the History Channel:
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has European and Celtic roots that go back hundreds of years. In the beginning, it was believed that ghosts came back to the earth and people would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by spirits, people would wear masks so ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.
Wearing costumes to ask for food or money, popularly known as ?trick-or-treat,? became popular in the 19th Century as Irish immigrants brought their traditions to America. Since then, costumes have ranged from cut-up sheets to elaborate dresses and suits.
